Is the Shaft More Important or Is the Head More Important When Being Fit for a New Driver?

[ChetlovesMer]

I happened to be flipping through an old article from Golf Digest that discussed getting fit for a driver. 

One thing it stated very emphatically was about which is more important the driver's shaft or the Driver's head.

What do you think? 

[jmanbooyaa]

With all the new tech out there i say shaft.if you can’t swing it does the head matter? Applies to new tech of course. 

[dennyjones]

I don't know but when I was fitted, the head was chosen first and I was told the shaft would help dial in the club.  

[ChetlovesMer]

Interestingly enough.
According to the golf digest article I read. The club head has "way more to do with" the quality of shot than does the shaft. 

The shaft is a fine tuning and mostly gives the club its "feel". 

[billchao]

On 6/30/2022 at 4:55 PM, jmanbooyaa said:

With all the new tech out there i say shaft.if you can’t swing it does the head matter? Applies to new tech of course. 

You can get different results from the same shaft in different heads. The club head is the starting point, then you fine tune via the shaft.

[Club Rat]

Club fitting has come a long way with the ability to interchange heads and shafts.
Every year when we have Demo Day, I have always enjoyed testing the new equipment.
Now having the ability with more options available and the use of various simulators and launch monitors, it's interesting to analyze the data and make selections based on the preformance data.

IMO, both the Head and Shaft are equally important when determining a clubs preformance.
Certain combinations will produce slightly greater distance and others give a player more control.
A key factor which is seldom considered, is the "Miss-Hits" factor.
With some heads, the distance lost when hit on areas of the face and still usually finding the fairway.
Other heads, a miss hit will produce results with very poor distant and usually end up in the ruff or other areas out of position.

[billchao]

6 hours ago, Club Rat said:

A key factor which is seldom considered, is the "Miss-Hits" factor.

I'm going to have to disagree with this one. Every fitting I've ever done has focused on the quantity and quality of mis-hits. The driver I'm currently playing wasn't the one that produced the best shots of the fitting; it was the one that produced the most consistent results.

And yes, as wild as I am off the tee, there are drivers out there that I would be worse with.

[saevel25]

I said the golf shaft. But, it's like maybe 60/40. 

[Typhoon92]

When we fit people we always start with the head.

[roejye]

Originally when I voted, I voted neither because I felt both are important. However, reading the responses I would say the head is slightly more important. I think back to my fitting recently and there were just some heads I didn't mesh with. 

[reidsou]

Focus on improving the swing! That is 90%+. Beware of marketing. 

IMO! 

[GolfLug]

I answered both. To me the question is similar to asking what's more important in an automobile performance - the drivetrain or the powertrain.  

I don't know how to pick one over the other. Let me put it this way - neither one will cure or overcome the misfitting ills of the other.

[boogielicious]

40 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

I answered both. To me the question is similar to asking what's more important in an automobile performance - the drivetrain or the powertrain.  

I don't know how to pick one over the other. Let me put it this way - neither one will cure or overcome the misfitting ills of the other.

I voted the same way.

[Darkfrog]

I don't really know for sure, but I picked head. All the fittings I have done, granted never had a full driver fitting, have focused on head first.

Speaking for myself, head shape, colorway/alignment markings, and how it sits at address for driver/fairway wood is important for me.

[arturo28mx]

I have studied the subject for years and have watched many good, well conducted videos. My conclusions:

1. The head determines the ball trajectory

2. The right shaft will be the one that gives you the most consistency in hitting the center of the face.

[Brown E]

I say start with a quality forgiving club according to the individual  golfer and then try to fit a shaft to there swing. I have gone through 3 driver shafts before finding something that works best for me.

[saevel25]

On 8/10/2022 at 2:12 PM, arturo28mx said:

I have studied the subject for years and have watched many good, well conducted videos. My conclusions:

1. The head determines the ball trajectory

2. The right shaft will be the one that gives you the most consistency in hitting the center of the face.

Shaft can influence ball trajectory. 

I would say...

The club head gives you the baseline vertical launch and spin rate pending the CG location and loft. 

The shaft will fine tune the launch, and also help in making your launch numbers less variable (spin rate and launch angle). As well as resist twisting on off-center hits. 

 

[ChetlovesMer]

I know this thread is a bit old, but I thought of it today at the range. Hitting balls next to a guy and his buddy. One of the guys was talking about equipment and he was going on and on about how the club head doesn't matter. 

Yeah, he actually said the club head doesn't matter. It's all about the shaft. His theory (as I understand it) was that the head was just loft and lie angle and other than that, they are all the same. 

hmmm....